OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after a fall at a local hotel and will be hospitalized “for a few days of observation and treatment.”
“He is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days of observation and treatment. The Leader is grateful to the medical professionals for their care and to his colleagues for their warm wishes,” his communications director David Popp said in a statement to Axios.
The 81-year-old Kentucky senator was taken to the hospital late on Wednesday night after he fell at a D.C. hotel.
President Joe Biden tweeted that he wishes McConnell a “speedy recovery.”
South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, told reporters on Thursday that he had not spoken to McConnell. Thune was at the dinner on Wednesday night and said McConnell delivered remarks “as usual” but that he did not see the fall.
“Concussions can be serious injuries and take time for recovery. Many professional sporting associations have focused on the dangers of repetitive head injuries. Even a single incident of concussion can limit a person’s abilities as they recover. In 2019, the GOP leader tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky, suffering a shoulder fracture. At the time, he underwent surgery to repair the fracture in his shoulder. The Senate had just started a summer recess, and he worked from home for some weeks as he recovered,” the Associated Press reported.
🚨 BREAKING: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after a fall at a local hotel and will be hospitalized “for a few days of observation and treatment,”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 9, 2023
McConnell made headlines recently when he delivered remarks to reporters after former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced her bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Haley’s announcement makes her the second Republican vying for the party’s nomination. Former President Donald Trump formally jumped into the ring in mid-November, making his announcement from his Mar-a-Lago resort home in Florida.
McConnell, indicating he would support whomever the eventual nominee is, told reporters after being asked about Haley’s candidacy, “Well, what I think is we’re going to have is a vigorous campaign.”
Trump and McConnell have essentially feuded since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol after the Kentucky Republican leader blamed the then-president for the incident.
WATCH:
In case you were wondering if Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will ever grow a pair with regard to Donald Trump, here he is telling reporters he'll support whomever the Republican nominee for president is in 2024. pic.twitter.com/2921XuNxgL
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) February 14, 2023
As for Haley, she initially pledged later that year she would not run for president if Trump declared, but she has obviously gone back on that vow.
“The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride, and our purpose,” said Haley in a campaign video.
“It’s time for a new generation of leadership – to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride, and our purpose,” Haley said in her campaign announcement. “Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight general elections. That has to change,” she added.
“Some people look at America and see vulnerability. The socialist left sees an opportunity to rewrite history. China and Russia are on the march. They all think we can be bullied. Kicked around. You should know this about me: I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels,” Haley went on to say.
As for McConnell, he and other Republican leaders took a lot of heat following a less-than-expected showing during the November midterms. The party barely managed to retake the House and actually lost a seat in the Senate, handing full control to Democrats.
After Trump declared his candidacy, McConnell essentially pronounced his political career as being over.
The Kentucky Republican said he believes it’s “highly unlikely” that the 45th president will become the 47th president.
“There is no room in the Republican Party for anti-Semitism or white supremacy. And anyone meeting with people advocating that point of view, in my judgment, are highly unlikely to ever be elected president of the United States,” McConnell said, the outlet reported.
